A MAOIST VISION OF A NEW NEPAL:
NEPAL’S NEW DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS AT THE NEW SCHOOL
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| Photo by Subel Bhandari |
Nepal’s new democratically-elected Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will speak at The New School on his first visit to the West on Friday, September 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Nepal’s Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda (“The Fierce One”), came to power in August 2008 following his party’s success in the country’s first-ever Constituent Assembly elections. Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and leader of its People’s Liberation Army, he led a decade-long People’s War (1996-2006) with the goals of ending Nepal’s monarchy and creating a new federal republic.
This year, Constituent Assembly elections, held in April, yielded a near majority for the Maoists. The Assembly’s first meeting ended a 240-year-old monarchy and began its main task: creating Nepal’s new conÂstitution. In addition to leading the Assembly in this historic, monumental task, Prachanda now faces the challenges of managing a complex coalition government to address the long-neglected basic needs of the people, while at the same time establishing security and peace in Nepal under the watchful gaze of an inÂterested but skeptical international community.
The talk, which will be held in Tishman Auditorium, Alvin Johnson/J. M. Kaplan Hall, 66 West 12th Street, will be followed by remarks from Andrew Arato, Dorothy Hart Hirshon Professor of Political and Social Theory, at The New School, and then followed by a Q & A session that will be moderated by Mr. Kul Gautam, senior fellow of the India China Institute.
Admission is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and on a first-come basis.
* Seating must be completed by 5:45 p.m. For more information please contact, Jonathan Cogliano or Kashish Shrestha at 212.229.6812 or email indiachina@newschool.edu.
THE COURTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
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Are these truly perilous times for democracy filled with uncertainty and instability? What role does the Supreme Court play in this transitional moment in American politics?
On Tuesday, September 23, at 6:00 p.m., Bob Kerrey, president of The New School, and journalist Linda Greenhouse, Supreme Court reporter for the New York Times, assess the decisions of the Roberts court as the United States heads into a presidential election in a moment of domestic and international unrest. Co-sponsored by the Wolfson Center for National Affairs and the Institute for Retired Professionals, Kerrey and Greenhouse will discuss whether civil liberties are being eroded or transformed by a changing balance between individual liberty and state security. They will also address the court’s personnel changes expected in the next administration.
The event will be held in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor. Admission is $8, and free to all students, and New School faculty, staff, and alumni with ID.
BRUCE NUSSBAUM APPOINTED VISITING PROFESSOR OF INNOVATION AND DESIGN
The New School has announced that Bruce Nussbaum, one of the leading thinkers and writers about the intersections of innovation and design, has been appointed Visiting Professor of Innovation and Design. He will work broadly across The New School, with a faculty “home base” in the School of Design Strategies at Parsons The New School for Design, which houses degree programs in design and management, integrated design and environmental studies.
"Bruce will work across the university to catalyze new areas of research, study, and other forms of engagement that bring together design and social research, as well as management, urban policy, environmental studies, and sustainability," said New School President Bob Kerrey.
Nussbaum is best known for his continuing role as an editor, writer, and blogger about design and innovation for BusinessWeek. He was named by I.D. magazine as one of the “forty most influential people in design,” and in 2008 he was a Finalist for the “Design Mind” National Design Award by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. He was recently appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Design.
"The New School's strengths in design and the social sciences provide enormous possibilities for finding innovative solutions to some of the most complex global issues facing society in the 21st century," said Nussbaum. "I am looking forward to working with the students, faculty and leadership of The New School in helping them fully tap into the amazing resources to be found at the university."
Since 1977, Nussbaum has held a number of substantial writing and editorial roles at BusinessWeek where he currently serves as Contributing Editor for Innovation. His voice at BusinessWeek has reverberated widely. He is founder of the Innovation & Design BusinessWeek Online channel, founder and editor of IN: Inside Innovation, a quarterly innovation supplement, and blogger on NussbaumOnDesign. He appears weekly online in the video feature “Ask The Innovation Guru.” Mr. Nussbaum is responsible for the coverage of the annual Industrial Designers Excellence Awards, the BusinessWeek/Architectural Record Awards for architecture, and “The World’s Most Innovating Companies” survey. He will continue to write, edit, and blog about design for BusinessWeek concurrent with his new position at The New School.
Candidates for The New School Honorary Degrees
The university expects to present six honorary degrees at its May 2009 commencement exercises. Awardees are accomplished in their field and are generally chosen from a discipline that represents the various schools and programs of the university. Honorary degrees will be awarded from the categories listed below. Candidates do not have to be graduates of The New School.
Categories:
- The Arts: Classical Music, Jazz/Contemporary Music, Theater, Film, Television, Writing, Visual Arts
- Design, Journalism
- The Humanities and Social Sciences
- The Natural Sciences
- Public Life and Government
Nominations for honorary degree candidates and University in Exile Award candidates are welcome and should be submitted no later than Friday, October 24, 2008. For additional details to nominate candidates for either an honorary degree or the University in Exile Award, please go to the University Commencement Website.
CONVOCATION SPEECHES NOW ONLINE
The university held its annual Convocation ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 4, marking the opening of the 2008–2009 academic year. Speeches from the ceremony are now posted on the Convocation Website.
LEARN ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY: SEMINAR ON THE NEW SCHOOL
The Seminar on The New School is a series of discussions designed to inform The New School community on university policies and initiatives. Seminar speakers will prepare and present papers as a springboard for further discussion.
The seminars scheduled for the 2008-2009 academic year are:
- Student Financial Services at The New School, presented by Eileen Doyle, assistant vice president for Student Financial Services, on Thursday, November 13, 2008
- On Line Learning at The New School, presented by Shelley Reed, senior vice president for Information Technology and Linda Dunne, dean, The New School for General Studies, on Thursday, February 12, 2009
- Developing the 2009-2010 University Operating Budget, presented by Jeanne Plecenik, vice president and treasurer, on Thursday, March 26, 2009
- The University Annual Report, presented by James Murtha, executive vice president and chief operating officer; Nancy Donner, vice president for Communications and External Affairs; and Doris Surarez, vice president and secretary of the Corporation, on Thursday, April 23, 2009.
Discussion Papers are available in Dean’s offices and on the University website one week before each seminar.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL LIBRARIES
CHANGES AT THE KELLEN ARCHIVES
The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Archives Center has a new director and a new space. Wendy Scheir has joined the University Library staff as the director of the Kellen Archives, which is now located on the lobby level of 66 Fifth Ave. The Kellen Archives documents the history of Parsons going back to its founding by William Merritt Chase in 1896. In addition to records, publications, posters, and artwork related to the school's history, the Kellen Archives collects original materials from the design careers of Parsons faculty, students, alumni, and associates. The Kellen is currently open to qualified researchers by appointment. For details, please visit the Kellen website.
During the construction process at 55 West 13th Street, Fogelman Library will continue to be located on the lower level of 65 5th Avenue. Look for announcements regarding the library’s future move to 55 West 13th Street on my.newschool.edu, and in future issues of the Weekly Observer.
Off-Site Materials
The Fogelman Humanities and Social Sciences Library in preparing for the move to 55 West 13th Street has already relocated a portion of its materials to an off-site depository.
When you are searching BobCat, the library’s online catalog, the item you need maybe listed as "offsite available." If so, simply click the "request" link and you will be prompted to log in using your Net ID.
You can request either an entire item or a single article from a journal.
The item will be either delivered to the Fogelman circulation desk or by email within 24 to 48 hours. You will be notified by email when the item is available.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR JAZZ AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
JAZZ FACULTY MEMBER DR. CHICO HAMILTON TO APPEAR AT “HARLEM SPEAKS”
Legendary jazz drummer, bandleader, and New School faculty member Chico Hamilton will be interviewed by Dr. Billy Taylor on Thursday, September 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem as part of “Harlem Speaks.” This is a free biweekly series to honor persons keeping the flame of jazz alive in Harlem
In 1997, Dr. Hamilton received The New School University Jazz & Contemporary Music Programs Beacons in Jazz Award in recognition for his "significant contribution to the evolution of Jazz." In 2002, Chico was awarded the WLIU-FM Radio Lifetime Achievement Award. At the IAJE in NYC January 2004, Dr. Hamilton was awarded a NEA Jazz Master Fellowship, presented to him by Roy Haynes. In December 2006, Congress confirmed the president’s nomination of Dr. Hamilton to the Presidents Council on the Arts. And in 2007, Dr. Hamilton received a Living Legacy Jazz Award as part of the Kennedy Centers Jazz in Our Time Festival, as well as receiving a doctor of Fine Arts from The New School.
Chico’s impact upon jazz includes the introduction of tw o unique and distinct sounds: first in 1955 with his Original Quintet which combined the sounds of his drums, the bass of Carson Smith, the guitar of Jim Hall, the cello of Fred Katz, and the flute of Buddy Collette; and the second in 1962 with his own drums, the bass of Albert Stinson, the guitar of Gabor Szabo, the tenor sax of Charles Lloyd, and the trombone of George Bohanon.
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is located at 104 East 126th Street, Suite 2C. Admission is free, but reservations are required by calling 212.348.8300.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR GENERAL STUDIES
FACULTY AND ALUMNI FILMS SCREEN AT NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL
Two films by members of The New School community were selected to screen at the New York Film Festival, which takes place September 29 through October 12. Faculty member Joel Schlemowitz's short film Nocturne [Avenue A, no lens] will premiere on Sunday, October 5, at noon as part of the festival's Views from the Avant-Garde series. Nocturne will be included in the 84-minute short film block Time of the Signs. The three-minute piece, shot on 16mm film, consists of footage of the East Village's Avenue A captured by a camera without a lens, resulting in a contextual loss of time and place. New School alumna Taylor Dunne will also premiere a piece in the festival. Her twelve-minute work Obar will screen on Saturday, October 4, at noon as part of the Warmth of the Sun series.
Schlemowitz has made over 40 experimental films over the course of his career. He teaches filmmaking at The New School for General Studies, and is president of the adjunct faculty union. Dunne is a 2006 graduate of The New School, where she studied filmmaking and was a student of Schlemowitz. Obar is her first commercial film.
All screenings take place at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center (65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam). Tickets for the festival are now on sale at the Film Festival website.
(CHANGE OF EVENT) The Observatory on Latin America:
Food, Energy, and Social Justice in Latin America
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| Jordi Borja | Greg Grandin |
The Observatory on Latin America (OLA) regrets to announce that the Forum of Presidents on Food, Energy, and Social Justice will not be held as scheduled on September 22. Unfortunately, recent political events in Latin America and difficulties in US-Latin American relations have changed the schedules of various Latin American presidents, who are no longer able to attend. We are hopeful that there will be an opportunity in the near future to hold a discussion at the presidential level on these important topics.
In lieu of this event, OLA will hold a roundtable discussion on the growing crisis in the region over the past month titled, “National and International Obstacles to the Quest for Social Justice in Latin America,” on September 22, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Participants in this discussion will include Professor Jordi Borja from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain; Professor Greg Grandin, Department of History, New York University; Professor Michael Cohen, director of the Graduate Program in International Affairs, The New School; and other well-known figures from Latin America and the United States.
The event takes place at The New School in the Lang Student Center at 55 West 13th Street. Admission is free, but reservations are required by emailing ola@newschool.edu to reserve seats.
NEWS FROM THE INDIA CHINA INSTITUTE
THE INDIA CHINA INSTITUTE LAUNCHES TRILATERAL CURRICULUM, STUDENT EXCHANGE, AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA AND YUNNAN UNIVERSITY
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| University of Calcutta | Yunnan University in Kunming |
The New School’s India China Institute announced a new initiative to develop a trilateral curriculum with the University of Calcutta and Yunnan University in Kunming. The program will work to redefine India-China interactions by creating a framework for collaborative study and research. The three-year initiative is generously supported by a $525,000 grant from the Ford Foundation.
The India-China Knowledge and Capacity Building Initiative will focus on the historically marginalized regions of northeast India and southwest China. Going beyond merely security and area studies, the initiative will develop interdisciplinary approaches where scholars and students will examine the unique social, cultural, and environmental challenges these regions face.
The initiative will focus primarily on building a trilateral curriculum of in-class study and field-based programs. Specifically, the three partner universities will co-design and co-teach a graduate-level course on India-China interactions, to be held simultaneously at each institution from 2009–2011. Each year, the course will be followed by an eight-week, field-based study program in Kunming and Kolkata where eighteen students (six from each country) will work together on a broad range of issues including local governance and infrastructure, human rights, economic development, conflict resolution, and the environment. The field-based experience will allow students to deepen their understanding of key issues and build a foundation for long-lasting working relationships.
In addition to graduate teaching, the initiative will also focus on widening access to primary and secondary materials on India, China, and India-China interactions that were previously available only in Chinese or Indian languages.
NEWS FROM MILANO THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MANAGEMENT AND URBAN POLICY
DECONSTRUCTING THE IMMIGRANT VOTE: A FEET IN TWO WORLDS TOWN HALL
More than ever before, immigrant voters are key players in electoral politics and the presidential race, yet their opinions and concerns are often overlooked by mainstream media. What are the top issues and priorities for today’s immigrant voters? How are the nation’s immigrant communities responding to the candidates’ efforts to woo them—and who will win their votes?
On Thursday, September 25, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Center for New York City Affairs brings together reporters, immigrant advocates, analysts and grassroots organizers to discuss these questions.
With moderator John Rudolph, executive producer, Feet in Two Worlds, the panel includes:
Aswini Anburajan,reporter, Feet in Two Worlds
Joshua Hoyt,executive director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Glenn Magpantay, staff attorney, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Pilar Marrero, columnist and political editor, La Opinión
Clarissa Martinez De Castro, director, Immigration and National Campaigns, National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
Arturo Vargas, executive director, National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO)
To listen to Feet in Two Worlds reporters’ public radio coverage of the 2008 presidential race, as well as related podcasts, visit www.feetin2worlds.org. Also visit the popular Feet in Two Worlds blog.
This event and the Feet in Two Worlds project, which is made possible by the generous support of the David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Sirus Fund, the Menemsha Fund, and an anonymous donor will take place at the Teresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor. Admission is free, but seating is limited and reservations are required by calling 212.229.5418 or emailing centernyc@newschool.edu.
NEWS FROM PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
NEW BOUTIQUE PRESENTS SHOWCASE OF PARSONS FASHION ALUMNI
The downtown boutique, début, which promotes emerging designers, will present a fall showcase of recent Parsons graduates from September 23-28, with an opening reception on September 23 from 6:00-9:00 p.m.
The featured designers are an international mix of recent graduates—hailing from Iran, China, Germany, South Korea, and Belarus, in addition to the United States. This includes 2008 Designer of the Year Stephanie Suberville of Mexico City. Other participating designers are: Angela Gao, Ava Ghosseiri, Sylvia Kwan, Melissa Luning, Rachel Rymar, Sara Shahbazi, Wen Shi, Dmitry Sholokhov, Marie Christine Statz, and Clara Yoo.
In the spirit of the collections regularly sold at the store, each designer will have his or her own display including a plaque that states the designer’s name/company name, geographic origin, and collection inspiration and launch date.
"It is a great benefit to our students to have an opportunity to present their work to the larger fashion community in such an innovative way," said Simon Collins, the dean of fashion at Parsons. "We have well-known relationships with world-class retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue. Working with début in its first year plays into our larger commitment to supporting the future of the industry. We hope this will be the start of a long and fruitful relationship."
Located at 298 Mulberry Street, between Houston and Bleecker Streets in New York, début is open daily from noon to 7:00 p.m. (Tuesday-Saturday) and noon to 6:00 p.m. (Sunday). For more information, please visit www.debutnewyork.com or contact 212.343.2717.
LONDON ICA PRESENTS PROJECT BY PARSONS PROFESSOR SHELLEY FOX
Shelley Fox, the Donna Karan Professor of Fashion Design at Parsons who will spearhead the new MFA Program in Fashion Design and Society, recently debuted an innovative project developed in collaboration with Sir Peter Mansfield, a physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his part in the invention of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the exhibition “Nobel Textiles,” presented by the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. The exhibition is the result of a two-year long collaboration between Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and the Medical Research Council, which paired five Nobel Prize winning scientists with five designers to explore the connections between science and design.
The Fat Map Collection is a fashion collection inspired by magnetic resonance imaging technology and explores how the patterns of clothing change as garments are altered for different bodies. Fox monitored changes in the internal and external body fat of six volunteers who undertook a controlled exercise and dietary regime. Using an MRI scanner, the volunteers were scanned before, during, and after the regime and their “fat maps” form the basis of the collection.
For more information, visit www.nobeltextiles.com.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENT EDITS MEXICAN JOURNAL FOLIOS
The Mexican quarterly FOLIOS dedicated its 2009 issue “Political Representation and Democracy: Between Hope and Disenchantment,” to the current debate on representation and democracy. This issue was edited by Isaac Preciado, a doctoral student in the Political Science department of The New School. As the title suggests, the articles included in this issue analyze the current debates on political representation and its impact on democracy and accountability.
The contributors to this edition include young fellow scholars, many from The New School, who touch on different aspects of this debate. The journal begins with an introductory article by Isaac Preciado that traces the theoretical and historical evolution of political representation. Victoria Crespo, doctoral student of the Sociology and History departments at The New School for Social Research, discusses the role of the presidency as it relates to actual presidents and political representation. Jorge Romero, studying in The New School’s Political Science department contributed the article titled, “Representation and Civil Society, Transparency and Accountability in the New Democracies,” which discusses a new model to understand citizens participation in public life.
For those who are interested, the articles (in Spanish) are available at: www.ieej.org.mx
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DRAMA
TCG NEW GENERATIONS FUTURE LEADERS GRANT AWARDED TO ALUMNI DIRECTOR
Directing Alum Vijay Mathew, class of 2003, was recently awarded Theater Communications Group (TCG) New Generations Future Leaders Grant. The grant awards emerging leaders in the theatre field with a paid mentorship with accomplished theatre professionals.
This past season, as an Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellow at Arena Stage, Mathew applied for the grant with Associate Artistic Director David Dower. “We wanted to continue the mentoring relationship that we had started when I was a Fellow, which was about producing and artistic directing, specifically in the realm of new plays,” he said.
The major component of the mentorship is a staff position as the National Endowment for the Arts New Play Development Program Coordinator at Arena. “This is a new nation-wide new play initiative by the NEA and is part of Arena's mission to be a center for the development and study of American Theater and this NEA program is an integral piece to that mission,” Mathew explained. “My job is to administer the program, coordinate the application process, and facilitate the communications, documentation, and study component of the program.” In addition to providing support for five early-stage plays for developmental work, the program will support two plays for world-premiere productions at their respective theaters.
“My participation in the NEA New Play Development Program as its coordinator gives me a really privileged perspective of the current state of new work, playwrights, and theaters in the United States—and what an exciting view it is!” he enthuses. “We've received nearly 300 intents to apply and nearly 200 actual finished applications. It's a very active field with an abundance of new plays and opportunities. This mentorship is exactly geared toward my path to becoming an artistic director who wants to produce and develop new plays.”
FALL 2008 UNIVERSITY BLOOD DRIVE
This year’s semi-annual two-day fall blood drive is scheduled for Thursday, October 2, and Friday, October 3, 10:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m., at the Student Lounge, 6 East 16th Street, lower level. The New School has established a new and efficient web-based scheduling system: see below for login instructions. We ask you to support and participate in this important endeavor.
This is an opportunity for members of The New School community to contribute life-saving blood to grateful New Yorkers and to demonstrate our community spirit. There is an ongoing need for blood in our area for patients including accident victims, surgical patients, cancer patients, burn victims, hemophiliacs, and the elderly. The spring 2008 drive was a success with more then 60 donations.
New Web-Based Scheduling System:
Donors should try to make an appointment in advance via the new web scheduler, but walk-ins are always welcome.
*Important: initial access to the web scheduler requires all donors, new and returning, to click on the “New Users” sign-up button, so you can create a password for future access to the site.
The entire registration/donation process should take about an hour, with the actual blood-giving process lasting six or seven minutes. Donors must be between the ages of 17 and 75 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health, and not have donated blood within the last 56 days. Donors must also bring photo identification. Afterward, there will be snacks available, and complimentary Chartwells Dining Cards for donors will also be available while supplies last.
If you have specific questions about donating, please contact the New York Blood Center at 800.688.0900, or visit their website.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Earn $50! Psychological testing volunteers are needed for fall 2008—spring 2009. Doctoral students in the NSSR Clinical Psychology program need supervised experience giving a range of tests, some you may have heard of. Find out how psychologists work and learn something about yourself! Volunteers meet with one clinical PhD student several times throughout the year. Volunteers must be available both fall 2008 and spring 2009. Total testing time is about 6 hours, plus an hour of feedback in the spring 2009 semester after testing is completed. Test is strictly confidential and is supervised by PhD clinical psychologists on the New School faculty. Clinical students may discuss anonymous test results in small groups, but only the PhD student conducting the tests and the instructor will know each volunteer’s identity.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact the teaching assistants, Rebecca Rosen and Katherine Barboza, to arrange a telephone interview. Email Roser694@ newschool.edu or barbk846@newschool.edu with any questions for the instructors, Dr. Andrew Twardon and Dr. Ali Khadivi, and it will be passed on.
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY'S ANNUAL MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER WALK ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19
The New School is taking part in the American Cancer Society's annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, October 19, at 9:00 a.m. in Central Park.
In 2006 and 2007, The New School collectively raised an impressive $6,902. This year the challenge for the university community is to beat last year’s total. Your donation will support the society's lifesaving research, educational policies, advocacy initiatives, and patient service programs, and it will send a message to cancer patients and survivors everywhere that hope starts here. Please take just a few minutes to donate and show that you care about fighting this disease.
To get information about registering and joining in the walk or just to make a donation, go to The New School's team-page on the web.
MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR U.S. STUDENTS
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Forty individuals are selected each year to study at a graduate or, in some cases, undergraduate institution each year in the United Kingdom. Fellows are supported for two years. The fellowship award includes university fees, living expenses, an annual book and thesis grant, grants for daily research and travel, and travel expenses to and from the United States. In some cases, where applicable, the scholarship will also pay towards supporting a dependent spouse. Applicants may be from any area of study and will need to have graduated from their institution after April 2006 for the 2009 award. For more information visit the scholarship website. The application deadline is October 2, 2008.
THE NINTH TCDS DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY GRADUATE INSTITUTE IN CAPE TOWN,
SOUTH AFRICA
The New School’s Transregional Center for Democratic Studies will be conducting its ninth Democracy and Diversity Institute in Cape Town, South Africa, January 6-22, 2009. During the intensive two-week program, up to 40 junior scholars and graduate students from sub-Saharan Africa, the United States, Latin America, and central and eastern Europe will gather to examine challenges to democracy in the host region and beyond. The institute will offer seminar courses in political science, anthropology, economics, sociology, and gender studies, to be co-taught by faculty from The New School for Social Research and South African academics. Students will select two of the four seminar courses; they will also attend a series of master classes conducted by scholars and intellectuals from South Africa and other countries in the region. The program includes evening guest speakers and study tours to socially and politically significant sites in the Cape peninsula.
New School students will receive credits upon successful completion of their coursework (three credits per course). This graduate program is also open to advanced students from Eugene Lang College.
The following seminar courses will be offered at the 2009 institute:
Democracies and Boundaries: Conflicts About Membership, Borders, and Diversity
Prof. David Plotke,Department of Political Science, The New School for Social Research
Gender and Democracy
Profs. Elzbieta Matynia, Department of Sociology and Liberal Studies, The New School for Social Research, and Shireen Hassim, Department of Political Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Democracy and Africanism
Prof. Hylton White, Department of Anthropology, The New School for Social Research and Eugene Lang College, and guest speakers
Shifting Power in the Global Economy: Rethinking Development Strategies
Profs. William Milberg, Department of Economics, The New School for Social Research, and Stephen Gelb, executive director, the EDGE Institute, Johannesburg, and Department of Development Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
Applications, with full instructions, will be available beginning in September at www.newschool.edu/tcds. The deadline for applications is October 17, 2008.
For a full program description, contact TCDS at 212.229.5580 x3136 or tcds@newschool.edu, or visit www.newschool.edu/tcds.
CATCH THE “VAN GOGH AND THE COLORS OF THE NIGHT" EXHIBIT AT
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART FOR FREE
Did you know that you could get into this exciting museum for free? In order to receive your free admission, go to the lobby information desk and show them your valid New School ID. Students, faculty, and staff receive one free admission for themselves. Faculty and staff may also obtain an additional two tickets for their guests. Enjoy!
TIME OUT NEW YORK DISCOUNT OFFER
Start your year off being in the know about things free or fancy. Time Out New York is offering all students, faculty, and staff at The New School a full year's subscription for just $20! That's 51 issues for the entire year and only 39c an issue. Steal this deal for yourself or a gift to another.
THE BEST DEAL FOR AFFORDABLE THEATER, Dance, and concert TICKETS:
THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND
An exciting spring theater, music and dance season is under way: Why pay $100 or more, when you can pay $20-$36 for Broadway shows and Off-Broadway shows, dance performances and concerts? An inexpensive way to enjoy the best of New York culture is to join Theatre Development Fund (TDF).
To be eligible, you must be a full-time student or teacher, senior citizen (62+), civil servant, union member, staff member of a not-for-profit organization, performing arts professional, or member of the clergy or armed forces. Annual membership fee is $27.50, and you can join online.
A small sampling of performances recently available to TDF Members for $20-36 per ticket include: 13-A New Musical, The 39 Steps, Absinthe at the Spiegeltent, Altar Boyz, American Ballet Theatre, August: Osage County, Avenue Q, Ballet NY, Beast, Big Apple Circus, Boeing Boeing, The Fantasticks, Flamingo Court, Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab, Fueerzabruta, Gypsy, Hairspray, Irena's Vow, Legally Blonde, Monty Python's Spamalot, The Marvelous Wonderettes, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Phantom of the Opera, Speed the Plow, Spring Awakening, The Seagull, To Be Or Not To Be and Xanadu.
So don't miss this great opportunity to see great theater at great prices.
The New York Times is offering a 60 percent discount ($.40/per day Monday-Saturday, $2.00 on Sunday) for home or office subscriptions to all faculty, staff, and students.
Here's how it works. Unlike traditional subscriptions, the education rate can be set up by semester or in a combination that best reflects your schedules for both delivery and billing. New School faculty, staff, and students can have a subscription Monday-Friday, Sunday only, weekends only, or any combination.
To take advantage of the special discount to the Times or to change a current subscription, students, faculty (full-time and part-time), and staff should contact the customer service center at 888.NYT.COLL, to order a single subscription or a classroom subscription of up to eight copies for required reading in the classroom.
To order a classroom subscription of eight or more copies for required reading in the classroom, contact the education program's customer service center at 800.631.1222.
WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY ON ENTERTAINMENT?
As a member of The New School, you have access to exclusive entertainment benefits through Plum Benefits! From theater and dance to sports and comedy, you can use this benefit to save time and money when ordering tickets for great seats to the hottest events in town! Log on 24/7 to enjoy:
Exclusive offers for premiere entertainment
Discounts of up to 50% off
Access to hard-to-get seats
Cost-free service
No ticket-ordering obligations
Easy ticket ordering
Helpful Customer Service at www.plumbenefits.com, 212.660.1888, or contact@plumbenefits.com
Already Signed Up to View Your Entertainment Benefits Online?
Log in now at www.plumbenefits.com to view this month's entertainment offers.
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The Weekly Observer, The New School online publication, is sent to everyone with a University email account. It is also available on the University web site. To add an external address to the email list, please send a message from the account you wish to add to majordomo@newsite.newschool.edu. In the message, on a line by itself, type "subscribe observer".
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Submissions deadline for the Observer:
Submissions for the Observer must be received by Wednesday afternoon to appear in the following issue.
